Jazzmaster: Adjusting action

So I bought a Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster recently. Everything is fine except the action is a little bit too high for my liking.

I'd like to attempt lowering the action myself but I couldn't find a guide anywhere on the internet about this specific bridge and I've never done it before. I would never dare to attempt it without some tips from someone who can do this figuratively speaking with eyes closed.

So can I just loosen the bridge with the right tool and lower it, or is it not that simple?

fret at first fret and last fret of low E string, what is the distance of string to fretboard at 12th fret?

that's how you check the neck relief which is related to action to a certain extent, but not necessarily what the TS needs to do.

the purpose of the two screws on each saddle is to match the height of each string to the curve of the fretboard. if all strings seem the same height off the fretboard, i'd advise that you leave these where they are and use the two adjustment points at either end of the bridge itself.

I like analogue Solid State amps that make no effort to be "tube-like", and I'm proud of it...

the purpose of the two screws on each saddle is to match the height of each string to the curve of the fretboard. if all strings seem the same height off the fretboard, i'd advise that you leave these where they are and use the two adjustment points at either end of the bridge itself.

So if I use a screwdriver to unwind these two adjustment points, how will the bridge come loose? Could you or someone else give any details on that?

No, while the Classic Player Jazzmaster and Jaguar, and the Modern Player and Blacktop Jaguar's have Adjust-o-matic bridges, the Blacktop Jazzmaster has a vintage style bridge.

Like this:

those screws aren't there for adjusting the action (although they can be used to do it), they are for setting the radius of the saddle height to match the fretboard radius. the two outer screws at either end of the bridge plate allow you to adjust the action higher or lower without messing up the radius.

i know on strats and teles you have to adjust them all individually, but if you can raise and lower the whole bridge it and the radius matches it doesn't make sense to adjust each saddle.

I like analogue Solid State amps that make no effort to be "tube-like", and I'm proud of it...

Alright, so I can use the two screws on the ends of the bridge to adjust the height, but how is this done?

Will the bridge rise when I loosen the screws and vice versa? I find it really hard to imagine how it's done.

yes, i think that's correct, unless i've remembered it wrong. you should be able to see if it's raising or lowering the bridge, anyway.

i know the jazzmaster bridge design is very odd, and it's kinda difficult to explain without a picture:

you see those two black screws pointing out of the bottom of the bridge? they rest against the base of the two thimble-like pieces of metal that the bridge is inserted into. when you turn the screws, you adjust how far they stick out of the end of the bridge posts, raising and lowering the bridge.

I like analogue Solid State amps that make no effort to be "tube-like", and I'm proud of it...

you see those two black screws pointing out of the bottom of the bridge? they rest against the base of the two thimble-like pieces of metal that the bridge is inserted into. when you turn the screws, you adjust how far they stick out of the end of the bridge posts, raising and lowering the bridge.

Thanks! I found the 0.5mm hex key that came with the guitar and I'm going to try to lower the bridge. Do you recommend that I turn the hex key the same amount of degrees on both sides of the bridge to keep it leveled the right way?

I have another question though. Can I adjust the height of the pickups the same way as I adjusted the bridge, by tightening or loosening all the screws?

i know this isnt your type of pup. but i want to convey that some screws are for adjustment, others mount the pup in the guitar.

and where there's a pickguard, the screws double as adjustments , and mounting screws. so going too loose would allow the pup to drop into the cavity. and you would need to remove the guardto retrieve them.

too high and you might get a muddy tone.too low and you might get volume loss.just right for extra bite. yes, the pup can be tilted closer to thick strings for more bass, closer to treble side for more treble. some poles, with screw heads are adjustable for tone "fine tuning". dont go lower than flush to the pup.

Jenneh

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